


New Beginnings

by Louissa



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Family Bonding, Minor Character Death, Other, Violence, good dad bruce - Freeform, it gets happier i promise, no capes AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-08 16:45:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louissa/pseuds/Louissa
Summary: Tim’s barely even six when his parents die, it’s up to his godfather Bruce Wayne and his two adopted sons to take care of him now. It’s not a smooth journey to happiness but they get there.





	1. Chapter 1

The Drake family murder was brutal. Janet and Jack Drake were found strung up hanging from the ceiling of their apartment in Gotham Heights, their son Timothy Drake had yet to be located. Jim was concerned that the young boy had been kidnapped, while searching the rooms one final time he heard soft sobbing coming from the laundry. As he approached the door the sobbing stopped followed by a soft gasp, slowly he opened the door and in the darkness caught sight of a small boy curled in a ball. Jim crouched down as the boy pressed himself back into the wall as if he was going to hurt him, while raising his hands slowly he pulled out his badge and slid it across the ground.

“My name is Jim Gordon, from Gotham PD. I’m here to help.”

When there was no response he crept forward attempting to inspect the small boy for any injuries, as far as he could tell the boy was unharmed and in shock. Judging by the jet black hair and soft baby blues the boy that sat trembling before him was Tim Drake, smiling warmly he took off his coat and wrapped it around his knees.

“Can you tell me your name? You’re not in trouble I promise.”

“T-Tim.”

“Tim Drake?”

A small nod.

“I’m going to take you to a safe place now, is that okay?”

He watched Tim slowly find the strength to stand, as the jacket slipped Jim moved quickly to wrap it around the boys shoulders. Tim didn’t protest as he was lifted into his arms, he was careful to keep Tim’s eyes averted from the blood that covered the walls and most importantly his parents dead bodies. A soft weight on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts, looking down he realised that Tim had fallen asleep.

-

Jim sat at his desk looking over the paperwork, strewn across his desk were multiple documents all surrounding the now orphan Tim Drake. Glancing up he watched as the toddler slept on the couch across from him, he noticed the way that the small fingers curled into his jacket and a soft whimper came from Tim. Standing quickly he strode across the room, much like he would with Barbara when she was younger he gently carded his fingers through the toddlers hair. A few moments later Tim seemed to of settled down again and he made his way back to his desk, Jim picked up his phone and started to dial Bruce Wayne’s number.

While he waited for the phone to ring he looked down at Tim’s birth certificate, Jack and Janet seemed like the type of people to plan for emergencies. In the media they were rarely seen with their son, in fact he was seen with Bruce Wayne more than his mother and father. It made sense to him now. Bruce is his godfather.

“Hello Richard, I was wondering if I could speak to your father please.” 

-

“Thank you for calling, Jim. I’ll be there to pick him up as soon as I can.”

Bruce hung up on the commissioner and leaned back in his chair, while drawing in a shaky breath he looked to the picture of himself and Janet that he kept on his desk. They had met after his parents died, Alfred thought that it would be good for him to socialise and meet children his age. They were like two peas in a pod, to him she was like a little sister, he considered her family the day they met. During high school she fell in love with Jack Drake, though he didn’t approve of their relationship he was glad that Janet was so happy. After they graduated Bruce didn’t see Janet as much, he was busy running Wayne Enterprises but that didn’t stop him from dropping everything when she told him she was pregnant. Bruce was there when Tim was born, he’ll never forget the bright baby blues that stared up at him with such curiosity or the way that his heart exploded when the newborn clung to his finger. When Janet requested that he be Timothy’s godfather he accepted without a second thought, he knew that if anything was to happen to them or their son he’d be there to help in any way he could.

Bruce felt ill thinking about his best friends fate, it was cruel how the world could make yet another child an orphan. He knew that from now on Tim would be his responsibility, and he wouldn’t let Janet down. He pushed his chair back from his desk and made his way down to the kitchen in search of Alfred, even if it was late he knew that his trusted butler would be awake most likely attempting to coax Dick or Jason back to bed. Stepping into the kitchen he was greeted with the sight of Jason sitting on the counter while Alfred made up some hot chocolate, it must’ve been another nightmare. He was careful not to startle his adopted son as he approached resting a hand on his shoulder before pulling the boy into his chest for a tight hug, when Jason hugged him back Bruce squeezed  him a little tighter before kissing his sons forehead.

“Jason, I didn’t think you’d be up.” 

“I had a nightmare, Alfie’s making me some hot chocolate and letting me stay up with him to watch British Bake Off.”

He looked over at the man who was adding another block of chocolate to the mixture of warm milk and other spices, there was no one else who could ever make hot coco the way that Alfred did. After his parents died Alfred spent countless nights preparing hot chocolate and staying up with him until he fell asleep again, so he knew the comfort that the warm drink could give.

“Well perhaps hot chocolate can wait until we get home. Alfred and I need to go into town.”

“Has something happened, Master Bruce?”

Before answering he squeezed Jason to his chest a little tighter earning a soft wheeze from the boy that he held, Bruce knew that he was probably suffocating the poor boy but at times like this he just didn’t want to let go. When he did he ruffled Jason’s hair and sent him a weak smile, he knew that Jason could see right through his façade.

“Janet and Jack Drake were murdered, Tim was the only survivor.”

 “I’m sorry for your loss, Master Bruce. I’ll go and fetch the car right away.”

This time Alfred was the one to squeeze him into a bone breaking hug, without a second thought he wrapped his arms around Alfred and did his best to hold back the tears when Alfred pulled away and moved down to the garage. Bruce returned his attention to Jason who was still sitting on the counter.

“Do you remember Tim Drake? He came to the Christmas gala last year.”

“How could I forget him? He fell asleep on my shoulder and Dickie had to carry him up to one of the rooms so he could sleep.”

Bruce chuckled softly at the memory, he distinctly remembers the moment that Dick announced they were going to bed and carried Tim all the way up to his room. When Tim had to go home he found the three of them curled up on Dick’s bed, his eldest son seemed to be smothering the small boy while Jason watched over them while reading a book. He didn’t exactly have the heart to split them apart but Jack was very adamant about taking Tim home.

“He’s going to be living with us from now on, after his parents passed away I received full custody of him.”

“So we get a new little brother?”

“Yes, would you like to come with Alfred and I to pick him up?”

Jason nodded and jumped off of the counter rambling about how he was going to grab his coat, while he waited for his son to return he too put on a coat and waited by the door. When his son returned he wore a dark red coat and held another in his arms, one that was smaller perhaps one of his first ones after moving into the manor.

“What’s that Jason?”

“Oh this..”

He held up the coat, which would’ve been too small on him if he wore it now, and smiled up at his father, Bruce opened the door for him and waited for him to continue his explanation as they moved towards the waiting car.

“It’s for Tim, he’ll catch a cold if he doesn’t wear one.”

Bruce smiled down at his son and ruffled his hair before opening the door to the back seat, he was confident that his sons would take great care of their new brother. Sighing softly he sat down next to Jason and wrapped an arm around his shoulder making sure he didn’t get a chill while the heater warmed up.

-

Gotham Police Department wasn’t exactly the best place for a young child, even if the crime rates in Gotham had split in half some of it’s inhabitants gave even Bruce nightmares. He had played a part in helping the crime rates drop, the new Martha Wayne institutes popping up around Gotham kept most kids off of the streets and helped them get jobs. Other shelters took in people who were desperately looking for work and trained them up before sending them to Wayne Enterprises for an interview, some of the projects were fully funded by his own company while others were funded by external organisations. It still didn’t keep every criminal off of the streets, there was no way it would ever happen but it guaranteed a safer future for Gotham.

Subconsciously he pulled Jason closer to him, wrapped an arm around his sons shoulder and kept him as far away from as many of the criminals as he possibly could. As they moved further into the department Bruce felt himself relaxing more, however he didn’t let go of Jason until they stood in front of Jim Gordon’s office. Through the door he could hear hushed voices and the occasional soft sob, he could only assume that Tim had woken up and started to process what was going on. He couldn’t imagine how the five year old was feeling in that moment, Tim was at an age where he understands what death is but can’t seem to process it all. When his own parents died it was much like that for him too. Drawing in a quick breath he knocked on the door and waited.

“Bruce, thank you for coming at such a short notice.”

“No need to thank me, how is he?”

“I think he’s still in shock, he woke up crying and I haven’t been able to settle him down.”

Bruce looked down at Jason and squeezed his shoulder gently before sending his son a reassuring smile and moving further into the office, his eyes landed on Tim who sat curled up in the middle of the couch a jacket wrapped around him tightly while he cried. Bruce moved towards him and crouched down in front of him, Tim’s eyes went wide when he realised who was in front of him. Bruce reached up and gently wiped away Tim’s tears as the young boy sniffled and scooted off the couch and wrapped around him tightly.

“Hey there bud, I’ve got you.”

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Tim finally pulled back to look at him, a pair of baby blues stared up at him waiting for an explanation. Waiting for Bruce to tell him why his parents were gone, why they wouldn’t come home, it was the same way that Dick looked at him after the accident and the same way that he looked at Alfred after his parents died. So many questions he’d never be able to answer.

“You remember Jason don’t you?”

A soft nod was Tim’s only response as he stared over Bruce’s shoulder and at Jason who stood to the side watching them both in silence, upon realising that he’d been caught staring Tim hid his face in Bruce’s shoulder and whined as Bruce pulled away letting Tim stand on his own.

-

Jason stood in front of Tim smiling softly, afraid that if he made a move he’d scare the toddler off so when Tim hugged Jason with no intention of letting him go he couldn’t help but be surprised. He held the small boy in his arms and looked up at Bruce while he gently rubbed his back.

“Jason could you please look after Timothy while I sign some paperwork, I’ll only be a few minutes.”

Jason lifted the smaller boy up onto the couch again and grabbed a tissue before wiping away the tears stains on his cheeks and some of the tried blood that had been missed by the paramedics. In the background he could hear Bruce and Jim talking in hushed voices so he filled the silence by humming a soft lullaby as he worked.

“Jason?”

“Yeah little birdie?”

“Are you going to be my big brother now?”

“Do you want me to be your big brother?”

“Y-Yeah I wouldn’t mind that.”

Humming softly he poked Tim’s nose before helping him off the couch again and pulling him into a gentle hug.

“Then I’ll be your big brother.”

-

It had taken longer than expected for Bruce to sign the papers, Alfred had bought over a small tablet to keep the two boys occupied as they waited to go back home. Tim sat on Alfred’s lap while they watched a superhero show that Tim begged Jason to watch, they were two episodes in when Bruce returned to the group and sat down on the other side of Jason. The TV show was paused and Tim’s attention was now on Bruce who smiled warmly down at him.

“It’s time to go home now, we’re all finished here.”

Jason jumped off of the couch first and Tim followed, while Alfred packed away the tablet Jason busied himself with wrapping the coat he’d bought for Tim. Bruce had adopted Jason at six, only a few months older than Tim was now and yet he was barely the size of a four year old. Hiding the concern Bruce lifted Tim into his arms and made sure that he was secure in his arms, Jason moved to Alfred’s side where Tim could see him from over Bruce’s shoulder. Jim took the family out through the back exit not wanting to spook Tim for a second time that night, they said their goodbye before hopping into the car and driving back towards the manor.

“Mr Wayne.. Where’s Dick?”

“Asleep at home, please call me Bruce now Tim. We’re family.”

“Am I going to be living with you forever?”

Bruce’s warm chuckle filled the car as Tim looked up at him with an intense curiosity, Jason was the one to answer as he grabbed Tim’s hand and squeezed extra tight.

“You’re going to be my little brother remember? So you’ll live with us forever, I’ll protect you.”

Tim was silent as he stared up at Jason, for a moment Bruce thought Tim might panic at the sudden confession. Instead the toddler yawned softly as he nodded and his head fell onto Jason’s arm, his second eldest son wrapped around Tim and made sure to keep him warm. By the time they returned home both boys were fast asleep in the backseat of the car.

-

Morning came around faster than Bruce expected, the sun peaked through the curtains and shone in Bruce’s eyes. He groaned and rolled over sprawling slightly only to discover that there was another body in the bed with him, the soft whine followed fingers clinging to the loose fabric of his shirt indicated Dick. His eldest son had a habit of sneaking into his room and sleeping until the morning came, not that Bruce was complaining he loved being able to comfort his sons or just be there to help them rest.

“Hmm dad? You’re squishing me.”

“That’s what you get for being in my bed.”

Bruce’s arms wrapped around his son and squeezed him tight while Dick attempted to squirm away from him, chuckling his hands moved to Dick’s sides and he started to tickle him. When Dick begged for mercy he pulled away only to be tackled as Dick attempted revenge that was only foiled by Alfred knocking at the door.

“Now now Master Dick, what have I said about rough housing before breakfast?”

“But Dad started it!”

He chuckled as Dick whined and rolled off of the bed before leaving the room but only after Alfred had given the young boy a hug and telling him to go down to the kitchen. Bruce stretched and pushed back the covers before getting out of bed and putting his robe on.

“Is Tim awake yet?”

“No sir, but Master Jason has gone to get him ready for breakfast. I suggest you use this time to explain what happened to Dick.”

“Good idea, thanks Alfie.”

-

Bruce knocked on the kitchen doorway and smiled at his eldest son whose lips were covered in the Nutella from his pancakes, he grabbed a mug of coffee before sitting down and piling several pancakes on his plate. After he’d finished decorating his pancakes he stopped and looked over to Dick who was attempting to cut through 5 pancakes at once.

“You remember the Drake family don’t you Dick?”

“Yeah, Janet and Jack Drake were found dead in their apartment last night.”

“So you’ve heard.”

“Mhmm. Is Tim staying with us? You’re his godfather.”

Sighing softly he took a sip of his coffee, Bruce nodded and placed the world’s best father mug back down and ran a hand through his hair. When he adopted Dick and Jason he thought that would be it, now he had a third son and all he could do was worry about how they would react to another child in the house. Bruce knew Jason would give him no trouble and he knew deep down that Dick wouldn’t either but he worried anyway. Judging by the excited smile on Dick’s face he wouldn’t need to worry.

“Jason and I picked him up last night, you were already asleep so I didn’t want to wake you.”

“That’s okay, I needed the sleep anyway. Is he okay? He wasn’t hurt was he?”

“No, when we got to him he was in shock but settled down pretty quickly.”

Dick nodded and went back to eating his pancakes just as Jason ran into the kitchen looking slightly panicked, Bruce stood up and met his son halfway crouching down to his height as Jason rambled. He only managed to make out two words from his sons rambling _Tim_ and _gone_. Bruce panicked as he called out to Alfred and moved through the manor searching each room as he went.

“What’s going on Master Bruce?”

“Tim wasn’t in his room, Jason can’t find him.”

“I’ll go and check the lower levels of the manor, he might’ve gotten lost.”

Bruce nodded trying to ignore the panic that swelled in his chest as he opened each door calling out to the small toddler each time, he’d only had Tim for a few hours and he was already failing Janet. He prayed that she wouldn’t haunt him for losing her son so soon.

-

Dick had been searching for Tim for half an hour now, he called out to the young boy as he searched the halls. He’d never seen Jason look that scared before but he understood his younger brothers worry, the first time Jason tried to go to his room alone he ended up lost and it took Bruce 20 minutes before he found him again. Tim was smaller and younger than Jason was, he could only imagine just how scared he was right now.  As he turned down another hall he caught sight of a bright yellow shirt, running down the hall he turned and found Tim looking quite lost.

“Hey babybird, did you get yourself lost?”

The small boy spun around and his eyes went wide as he ran over to Dick who picked him up with ease, he realised that Tim was trembling as he clung to the collar of his shirt.

“You’re okay, the manors easy to get lost in.”

“Dick.. I thought I was going to be lost forever.”

Chuckling softly Dick spun Tim around and tickled his sides gently, he wouldn’t stop until he got at least a smile from the toddler. Tim’s giggles echoed down the hall and Dick stopped as he found his way back to the living room of the manor.

“I would never let you be lost forever, I’ll always find you babybird.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

They met Bruce while walking back down to the kitchen, Dick couldn’t help but laugh at Bruce’s reaction to seeing Tim safe and sound. The small boy wriggled out of his arms and held his hand as they moved back towards the kitchen, while Bruce helped Tim wash his hands he took a few slices of toast before slathering them with Nutella and putting them on Tim’s plate. When Tim sat down with him he tilted his head to the side and pointed to the chocolate spread with a questioning look.

“What is this?”

Dick gasped and clutched his heart as he leaned back in his chair dramatically causing Tim to giggle and Bruce to roll his eyes.

 “It is only the best breakfast spread in the entire world, you have to try it.”

“Do I have to try it Dick?”

“You have to try it!”

Dick watched as Tim bought the piece of toast to his lips and took a small bite of the toast, there was a moment where Tim didn’t react before his face lit up and he took another bite. Dick looked over to Bruce slightly concerned that he’d never had Nutella before, both he and Jason lived off of the stuff.

“Tim! Where were you? You scared me!.”

Jason ran over to Tim and went to hug him, he stopped and used the pad of his thumb to wipe some of the chocolate spread from the corner of Tim’s lips.

“I’m sorry Jason, I was hungry and tried to find the kitchen but then I got lost and Dick found me and showed me Nutella..”

As Tim’s rambling died down he ducked his head and looked away, shrinking into himself as he averted his gaze. Jason panicked and gently took Tim into his arms and hugged him tightly.

“Oh no babybird, please don’t be upset I’m not angry at you. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I’m sorry Jay.”

“Whatever for?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to I’m sorry.”

Jason looked over to Bruce who got up from his spot at the table and crouched down next to Tim who only seemed to panic more at the attention, he gently rubbed the smaller boys back as Jason tried to sooth him and Dick watched on in shock.

“You’re okay, you never did anything wrong Tim. Believe me when I say that, you’re not in any trouble.”

Tim looked at him with teary eyes and sniffled softly as he nodded, slowly he started to calm down again and pulled away from Jason only to wrap his arms around Bruce’s neck.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey now, no more sorrys you’ve done nothing wrong.”

Tim nodded softly and rubbed at his eyes before resting his head on Bruce’s shoulder, he sat back down again with Tim sitting on his lap. Jason returned to his usual spot by Dick’s side and picked at his breakfast idly, the silence wasn’t awkward but it wasn’t peaceful either, clearing his throat Bruce finally broke the silence.

“How about we go and get McDonald’s for breakfast, then we can head to the mall and get some things for Tim’s new room. How does that sound?”

Dick cheered at the mention of McDonald’s and Jason sat up a little bit knowing he could use it as an excuse to buy more books, however they waited for Tim’s answer before moving.

“Yes please, I’d like that.”

Dick and Jason got up from the table and put their plates in the sink before running off to their rooms, while Tim took his time and tugged lightly on Bruce’s arm as a request for him to follow. So he stood and helped Tim find his new room and change into the clothes that Alfred had left out for him.

“Bruce?”

“Yes Tim?”

Crouching down Bruce helped Tim put his shoes on and tied them into two neat little bows while he waited for him to continue.

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

Bruce smiled softly and squeezed Tim’s knee gently.

“You don’t need to thank me, Tim, we’re family remember?”

Tim nodded softly and Bruce smiled up at him before helping him off the bed and leading him down to the car where he could hear Dick and Jason bickering about who would sit with Tim on the ride over. There were a lot of things they’d have to work through but Bruce knew with his family, he could do anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I’m super excited to post the second part of New Beginnings, this is based around 9 months after Tim’s parents died. I hope you enjoy! Please leave a comment I'd really appreciate it!

It had been a little over four months since Tim arrived at the manor, Dick had taken the big brother role with great pride and tried his best to help his new little brother settle into the change. Jason on the other hand was gentler with Tim, he spent more time helping him cope with the loss of his parents. Bruce was proud of both of them for helping Tim in their own special way, on the other hand he was busy sorting out the Drake’s will. On his 21st birthday he would come into a large sum of money and Bruce was the manager of those funds, of course if Tim wanted to spend some of that money he would allow him to within reason.

When Tim was old enough he would explain everything to him, for now he wanted to allow Tim to heal and recover from the unsettling events that had occurred. Bruce placed the relevant papers back into the small folder and returned them to the safe behind his desk, after he ensured everything was secure Bruce left his office and made his way towards the kitchen for breakfast. Jason was already sitting at the table reading a book while he carefully sipped his tea, Dick was sitting on the counter talking to Alfred all while trying to steal bacon from the hot plate. Tim was the only one missing, he wasn’t the type to sleep in but it wouldn’t surprise him if he did.

“Good morning Master Bruce, if you’re looking for young master Timothy I believe he’s still asleep.”

“Alright, I’ll go and wake him up for breakfast.”

Before leaving the kitchen Bruce made sure to ruffle Jason’s hair and kiss Dick’s forehead, a morning tradition that started soon after he adopted the two of them. Bruce made his way upstairs and towards the wing where his children’s rooms were located, he passed several doors before reaching Tim’s room. He knocked twice before opening the door and was met with a soft darkness, the small nightlight Alfred had bought was just enough for him to see Tim who was still fast asleep in his bed. Bruce crouched down by the bed and very gently ran his fingers through Tim’s hair, his eyes fluttered open and a pair of pale blue eyes stared at him.

“Good morning sleepyhead, are you ready for some breakfast?”

“Don’t feel good.”

Bruce frowned and turned on the small lamp that sat on the bedside table, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright light and realise how pale his son looked. He gently pressed the back of his hand to Tim’s forehead and took note of the slight temperature, Bruce knew that any of his kids getting a cold was inevitable he knew what helped Dick and Jason when they became ill but not Tim.

“I’m just going to go downstairs and get some medicine, will you be okay?”

If he hadn’t been watching he would’ve missed the small nod, Tim’s eyes had closed again and it seemed as if he’d fallen asleep again. Bruce wasted no time on his way back down to the kitchen, with Alfred’s help he retrieved the Nurofen and a bottle of water before returning to Tim’s room. This time he turned on the main light and sat down next to him while gently trying to wake him up again, once Tim was awake and sitting up Bruce rubbed the back of his neck gently trying to keep him awake just a little longer

“Sorry buddy, I just need you to take some medicine then you can go back to sleep.”

Bruce uncapped the bottle and focused on pouring the correct amount of medicine, he returned his attention back to Tim and offered him the small cup. He chuckled softly when Tim grimaced at the sight of the bright red liquid but still took the cup anyway, normally he would have to make a deal with Dick to get him to drink the cherry flavoured medicine. Once Tim was finished he handed him the bottle of water and helped him take a few stops to get rid of the foul taste.

“It doesn’t taste nice does it?”

“It’s gross.”

“Well hopefully it’ll make you feel better. Once you’re feeling a bit better we can go and cuddle on the couch with Dick and Jason, but for now we’ll cuddle up here okay?”

Tim went quiet and yawned a little bit and Bruce wrapped an arm around him allowing Tim to curl up next to him, he pushed off his slippers and made sure that Tim was warm before settling down. Once Tim had settled down, Bruce closed his eyes and idly played with Tim’s hair while he waited for his son to fall asleep. Bruce could feel Tim moving next to him and relaxed his hold slightly allowing the smaller boy to get comfortable.

“I love you daddy.”

Hearing those words caused Bruce to freeze a little bit, his eyes flew open and he looked down to see Tim fast asleep with his head resting on his chest. He pushed Tim’s hair back from his face gently and sighed softly, it was becoming clear to him that he was starting to think of Tim the way he thought of Dick and Jason, as his son.

“I love you too, son.”

-

Most Saturdays were spent away from the manor, Bruce would take the boys out on picnics or down to the movies. Anything to get them out of the house after a long week, however, with Tim still recovering from his cold and the bad weather they spent this Saturday inside. Thunder clapped overhead and Bruce felt Jason moving closer to him, he wrapped an arm around his son before pressing a soft kiss to his hair. He glanced over to where Dick and Tim sat on the opposite couch, Tim was sitting on Dick’s lap underneath a mountain of fluffy blankets. The storm didn’t seem to affect Tim, Dick on the other hand seemed to be clinging to the younger boy as another loud clap of thunder shook the walls.

“Dick you’re squishing me.”

“Aren’t you scared of the thunder, babybird?”

“No.”

Bruce laughed softly as Tim tried to wriggle out of Dick’s trademark octopus hold, Jason was removing himself from his side and made his way over to his brothers. When Jason moved under the blankets Dick finally let go and Tim moved closer to Jason and wrapped around him, the moment was sweet and Bruce looked back to the TV.

“It’s okay Jason, the storm can’t hurt us while we’re in here.”

“You’re so brave babybird, my hero.”

Suddenly the lights flickered and the room was plunged into darkness, there was a distinct yelp of surprise from Dick and Bruce reached for his phone and turned on the flashlight. He placed the phone on the table using the flashlight to give the small room as much light as he could, in the darkness he could see his three boys huddled together.

“It’s okay boys. Are you all going to be okay while I go and help Alfred with the torches?”

“You won’t be gone long right? You’ll come back won’t you dad?”

Bruce stood up and crouched in front of Dick cupping his cheeks gently before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, he then did the same for Tim and Jason before wrapping his arms around the three of them and squeezing them. Three pairs of arms wrapped around him and squeezed as well, after a few seconds he pulled away and smiled at them.

“I’m leaving my phone here with the torch on, and I’ll be right back. Promise.”

-

Dick was trying his hardest to be brave for his little brothers, even with the dim light coming from his father’s phone it didn’t help any of them relax. He pulled Tim onto his lap again and held him close while pulling Jason closer to him, Dick held Jason’s hand while his other arm wrapped around his youngest brother. While the storm raged on just outside the manor Dick started to sing one of the songs his mother sung to him when he was scared, he wasn’t the greatest singer but it seemed to work. The small weight on his shoulder indicated that Tim had most likely fallen asleep, and Jason had relaxed next to him but still seemed to be wide awake.

“Did Tim fall asleep?”

“Yeah, colds probably made him tired.”

The two sat in a peaceful silence for a while, they could hear Bruce and Alfred walking down the hall and soon bright lights illuminated the room. Dick smiled softly and Jason unravelled himself from the blankets to help set up the lanterns around the living room, the occasional clap of thunder overhead would have his younger brother pressed into Bruce’s side within seconds. Once the lanterns were secured around the room Bruce came over and sat down next to him with Jason still attached to his side.

“How are you feeling, Dick? Everything okay?”

“Yeah I’ve got Timmy to protect me.”

He looked down at his brother who was still fast asleep on his shoulder, Dick pulled the blankets up just enough so that they were covering Tim and keeping the smaller boy warm. Bruce’s hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed gently and Dick smiled up at him before moving so that he was closer to his father. Dick struggled to keep his eyes open and he looked over to Jason who had fallen asleep curled up next to Bruce, he rested his head on Bruce’s arm and closed his eyes drifting into a peaceful sleep.

-

It had been a few days since the storm and Bruce had been busy preparing for Tim’s birthday, Alfred had taken the boys to the mall to watch movies and go shopping while he attempted to figure out what to get for Tim’s birthday. He was turning six in three days and Bruce still hadn’t gotten him any presents yet, he’d never had this much trouble with Dick and Jason they always made it obvious what they wanted. Tim on the other hand never seemed to adventure the toy isles when they went to the store, he would follow Alfred around or stick close to his brothers.

Bruce could hear giggling echoing through the halls and smiled at the realisation that his boys were home, Tim ran into the office first and hid behind him. Jason ran past the door a few seconds later and was followed by Dick who held a foam sword in his hand, it seemed that pirates were today’s theme. When the coast was clear he turned around and threw Tim into the air before catching him, Tim’s laughter filled the small office and Bruce swore his heart was exploding with warmth at the sight of his little boy so happy.

“How was shopping, little one?”

“It was fun! There was a pirate show and we all got a free sword! Jason’s broke so I gave mine to him.”

“That’s very nice of you Timmy.”                                                            

He smiled down at his son and ruffled his hair before putting him back down on the ground, when Tim grabbed his hand Bruce had no choice but to follow. Tim led him down the halls and into the playroom where Dick and Jason were in the middle of a sword fight, Jason seemed to have the upper hand and jumped on top of his brother sending them both to the ground. Laughter filled the room once again as Dick used Jason’s weakness against him, a tickle attack.

“You’re cheating! Pirates don’t tickle people Dick!”

“There’s no rules on the sea Jay! You’ve lost! Accept defeat.”

Tim let go of Bruce’s hand and ran over to his brothers, he watched as Tim jumped on Dick causing them to roll and freeing Jason from the tickle attack. Dick was pretending to act wounded as Jason hugged Tim to him claiming that he was a hero and had saved his life, suddenly Dick was up again and chasing his brothers around. Bruce smiled fondly as he watched them both, in the corner of his eye he saw Alfred appear next him.

“I still need to get a present for Tim, did he spot anything he liked at the mall today?”

“We went to the toy store and I caught Master Tim looking at a science kit, a space rocket and a poster which I believe had the galaxy on it. When I asked if he would like them he shook his head and ran back to his brothers.”

“There’s a science and space exhibition in Metropolis, what if we went on a family trip?”

“I think that would be a nice idea Master Bruce.”

-

Bruce had stayed up later than usual setting up the decorations, one of the larger unused living rooms had been transformed into the perfect space for a birthday party. Alfred had gone down to the store and found a space themed table cloth and straws, the rest of the room was decorated with brightly coloured streamers and several bright red balloons. Just in front of him a confetti covered spaceship spun idly from where it hung in the room, Alfred had suggested the piñata as a distraction while he packed the car.

Somehow he and Alfred had managed to keep the family trip to Metropolis a secret, even after Jason had almost caught him taking clothes from his wardrobe. Their bags had been packed and were waiting hidden in the garage so Alfred could pack them without being caught, so far everything had gone perfectly which was a surprise considering both Jason and Dick had figured out their birthday surprises with ease. After checking that everything was perfect Bruce said goodnight to Alfred and headed to his room.

It took a while to fall asleep, all Bruce could think about was whether or not Tim would enjoy his presents. He turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, Bruce pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and closed his eyes. His breathing evened out and he found himself slowly falling asleep until his door opened and he was awake again. Bruce sat up and looked over to the door to see Tim standing there tears streaming down his cheeks, it must’ve been another nightmare.

“Hey Buddy, did you have a nightmare?”

“Y-Yeah.. Can I stay in here dad?”

“Of course you can.”

Since Tim had been sick he’d been calling him dad more often, each time Bruce could feel his heart warm however with his youngest son standing in his doorway crying his heart only ached. Bruce pushed the covers off him and helped Tim up onto the bed making sure that he didn’t suddenly tip backwards. By the time that Tim was curled up next to him and under the covers, he was half asleep. Bruce knew not to ask about the nightmares because Tim never spoke about them. He hoped that over time, Tim would talk to him about it but for now he was happy that Tim came to him when he was upset.

“Get some rest, little one. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

“Okay dad.. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

-

In the morning they were rudely awoken to Jason and Dick running into the room screaming ‘Happy Birthday’ at the top of their lungs before jumping onto the bed and squishing the poor boy in a hug, Bruce laughed and pulled all three of them into a hug and squishing them to his chest. He laughed more when they all whined at him to let go and only squeezed tighter. They ate breakfast in bed while going through the days plans, after lunch they’d open presents and then go to the ‘movies’ and see the new superhero movie coming out. What they didn’t know was that instead of the movies they were heading to the airport.

After breakfast the boys had gone back to their rooms to change out of their pyjamas, Bruce took the small moment of peace and quiet to take a shower before he had to go down to the living room and keep three crazy kids occupied until lunch time. As he walked down the halls he caught Tim and Jason trying to sneak up on him, when the pair pounced he yelled pretending that he’d been surprised by their sudden appearance. The two ran down the hall giggling and Bruce chased after them, he looped his arms around both of them before scooping them up and spinning them around.

“We’ve enraged the giant! Dick help us!”

Dick rounded the corner and pointed at him with a foam sword and charged down the hallway yelling a battle cry as he went, Bruce pretended to run away and stopped as the foam sword poked his back. He let out a wounded cry and carefully fell down to the floor making sure that the two boys in his arms weren’t hurt as he played dead, Bruce wheezed softly as Dick stood on his back with a triumphant grin.

“I have defeated the mighty giant! Worship me mortals for I am your knight in shining armour!”

Laughter erupted around him and Dick jumped off of his back and picked Tim up carrying him bridal style down the hall with Jason hot on his heels. In the distance he could hear Alfred telling the boys that there’s a surprise for them in the living room and he quickly got up so he could be there to see Tim’s reaction. He made it just in time to see Tim’s excitement and run over to the spaceship piñata and ramble to Jason and Dick about it, Bruce smiled and watched the three of them play Spacemen vs Pirates.

It wasn’t too long until lunch time and the boys had been spending a good 20 minutes trying to break open the piñata, Bruce secured the blindfold over Tim’s eyes and spun him around a few times before standing back and helping him hit the piñata. The hit left a tiny dent in the spaceship but it didn’t break open, next up was Dick who had gotten a few good hits in. Once the blindfold was secured he took a few steps back, Dick swung back and missed the piñata entirely. Instead, the small plastic bat slipped out of his sons hands and hit him right where it hurt.

“Oh my gosh- dad are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah buddy just a little hurt, that’s all.”

Bruce squeezed his eyes shut and ignore the pain in his groin, he sat down on the floor and ran a hand through his hair as he breathed through the pain. He knew that he couldn’t show how much it really hurt otherwise Dick would get upset and worry himself sick, so he took it like a man and would put on the best smile he could. A pair of hands were gently cupping his cheeks and his eyes opened to see Tim standing on front of him, a pair of baby blue eyes stared at him filled with concerned. Then Tim leaned forward before kissing his cheek and suddenly the pain was gone and his heart filled with warmth.

“You’re okay dad, we’ll take care of you.”

“What would I do without you Timbo? You’re my sweet little knight.”

He opened his arms and when both Dick and Jason were close enough he squished them in a hug and made sure to give Dick and extra kiss on the cheek so he wouldn’t worry as much. The four of them stayed like that for a little while before Alfred cleared his throat announcing that lunch was ready, Jason pulled away first and took Tim to the table with him while Dick stayed still wrapped around him.

“Sorry Dad, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s okay bud, didn’t hurt that much anyway. You ready for lunch?”

Dick was smiling again and he threw him over his shoulder before walking to the table where Jason and Tim already sat waiting patiently for them.

-

After lunch Bruce sat the boys down in the middle of the living room and bought over Tim’s presents setting them down in front of the small boy, he smiled at Tim and sat down with them before asking which one he’d like to open first. It took awhile for Tim to get through all of his presents but soon they were surrounded by wrapping paper and the small boy was thanking each of them with a hug. Dick had gotten him his favourite rocket model, Jason a book on the milky way, Alfred had gotten him the Chemistry set and Bruce had gotten him a solar system model that doubled as a clock to put in his room.  His last present was in the glove box of the car waiting for them to drive to the airport.

“Dad? Where did Alfred go? I didn’t get to thank him for his present.”

“He’ll be back in a second, now why don’t you all go and get your jackets on so we’re ready for the movies?”

“Okay, but I can still thank him before we go right?”

“Of course you can, now off you go.”

Tim nodded and followed after his brothers while he cleaned up the wrapping paper and disposed it in the bin that Alfred had set up in the corner of the room, he collected the toys too and put them on the now cleared table as Alfred had instructed him to do. Bruce then quickly went to his room and grab his coat among other things before going down to the foyer to wait for Alfred to come back from the garage, Dick came down the stairs with Tim on his back and Jason ran ahead of him and jumped from the third stair and right into Bruce’s arms. He caught his son with ease and spun him around a few times before fixing his jacket.

“Ready to go?”

“Yup, Timmy just needs to say thank you to Alfred and then we’re all ready.”

Dick had put Tim down just as Alfred entered the foyer and he watched as the small boy ran over to the butler, Bruce watched with a fond smile as Alfred crouched down to Tim’s height so he could hug him properly. He wrapped an arm around Jason’s shoulder out of habit and reached for Dick who leaned back into him slightly, one Tim was finished thanking Alfred he ran over to his brothers and went back to holding Jason’s hand again.

“The car is ready, I trust you’ll enjoy your time at the movies Master Bruce.”

“Of course we will, thank you Alfred.”

He winked at the butler before leading the boys out of the manor and into the car, Bruce looked back at Alfred and waved before helping Tim into the seat. Bruce knew that Alfred would’ve come to Metropolis if he’d asked but he knew that the butler probably needed some time off after the last few months. Once the boys were all in the car with their seatbelts on Bruce pulled away and headed towards the airport, when he passed the entrance to the mall he finally handed the small envelope to Tim.

“What is it?”

“It’s your last present, from Alfred and I.”

Tim opened the envelope and pulled out the weekend pass to one of the biggest science and space exhibitions in America, there was a soft gasp and Tim was hitting Jason’s arm excitedly.

“We’re going to Metropolis? Really dad are we really going?”

“Yup, your bags are in the boot and our plane leaves in a few hours.”

Bruce looked back in the rear view mirror and realised that Tim had tears streaming down his cheeks, if it wasn’t for the bright smile on his face he would’ve worried that he’d upset Tim. Dick was hugging Tim while Jason held his hand and Bruce stopped at the lights using the chance to reach backwards and put his hand on Tim’s knee.

“Are you excited?”

“Yeah! This is the best birthday ever!”

He smiled as he went back to focusing on the road and listened in to Tim talking about the convention with Dick and Jason, he noticed that Tim rambled whenever he got excited which was totally out of the normal for him. Bruce couldn’t help but smile as he listened to Tim talk about how he really wanted to go to space and work at the International Space Station, as much as he couldn’t stand the thought of his sons growing up he couldn’t wait to see Tim follow his dreams.

 


End file.
